New E-Services Account Validation Process Effective December 10, 2017

Although it’s been in the plans for quite a while, on December 8, e-Services announced that effective December 10, 2017 all e-Services users must register through a new, more rigorous identity proofing process called Secure Access.

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A New Process

e-Services users who have not previously created a Secure Access Account through Get Transcript Online, IP PIN tool, View Balance or by exception processing in the recent past must validate their identity through this new, stricter process. This also includes all TIN Matching users and users who may have received Letter 5903 last December and authenticated by phone.

The IRS is not making this process optional. The change is required in order to meet federal information system standards, and is also an effort to thwart cybercriminals who are targeting tax professionals to steal e-Services usernames and passwords, putting taxpayer data at risk.

In the past, e-Services users were asked for name, address, SSN, date of birth, adjusted gross income and filing status. Secure Access will add to this an additional level of identity proofing with a security code sent to the user’s mobile phone or generated by their IRS2GO app each time they log in. Once the user authenticates identity and establishes a Secure Access account for e-Services, there is no further action required. To find out more, visit www.irs.gov/eservices.